Heater tube mounting



March 1, 1 F. LEFEBVRE 2,927,299

' HEATER TUBE MOUNTING Filed May 20, 1954 {/5 V N y ?0 [3 /7 INVENTOR. 1E E F:- L. LEFEBvRE BY /5 6 W United States PatentQ HEATER TUBE MOUNTING Fredrick L. Lefebvre, Twinsburg, Ohio Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,223 2 Claims. Cl. 339-478) This invention relates to a heater tube mounting arrangement, and particularly such mounting as is adaptable for support of fragile tubes and even more particularly tubes for radiant heaters in which the tubes are formed of material in cylindrical shape and subject to fracture upon shock, such tubes having supported therein a resistance element.

Further, the invention is generally directed to a form of tube mounting which not only provides a shock absorbing support, but also acts as an electric current conducting member.

:Heretofore in radiant heaters, which involve the use of fragile material in tubular form, the same have been subject to breakage during shipment and upon handling under certain circumstances, which have desirably been the object of effort to reduce loss or damage through such conditions and yet have not been of such simple nature as is provided hereby.

it is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide means for mounting a tubular part for a radiant heater or the like, which is formed so as to provide resilient support for such part while at the same time acting as an electric current carrying element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heater tube support comprising a wire member, which is formed of a continuous section acting as a shock absorbing part, and enable connection of the same to a source of electric current, and likewise to provide for the transfer of the current to a resistance element mounted within the tube.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support for a fragile tubular part of a radiant heating unit which includes a member of wire having loops or coils, one of said loops being suitably connected to a ferrule in which the end of the tube is received, and an arm of said coil extends into the tube and is in turn connected to a resistance element, the wire member comprising both a support and a current conductor.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the specification appended hereto and shown in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of a heater unit illustrating the general arrangement of the support comprising this invention, and the manner of connection of said part.

\Figure 2 is a view in end elevation, on a somewhat enlarged scale, illustrating further the form of the support and its relationship to a part for engagement with the tube of the heater.

Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating further the form of the support member.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the convolutions of the support member by itself.

Referring now to the drawing, Figure 1 shows a heater unit, of the radiant type, involving the use of a tubular member generally denoted 1, which in this instance is formed of fused quartz, for example, the said tube 1 being of any suitable diameter and length. Within the tube is the usual electrical resistance member 3, the same being ice coiled in any suitable manner and being equipped at its ends 4 and 5 with suitable connecting formed sections 6 and 7 respectively. The sections 6 and 7 are in turn connected to the tube mounting members generally designated 8 and 9, the same being of identical configuration and more particularly illustrated in the other views in the drawing.

Referring therefore to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the mounting or support of this invention is shown as being comprised as an example by the wire member generally designated 10, which member includes a support section 11 which for the purposes hereof will be shown as gene-rally lying between the arrows as illustrated in Figure 2, the said support section being formed at its extremity at 12 with an eye. A first loop section designated 13 and lying between the arrows corresponding to such number is shown as forming a continuation of said support section 11. It will be noted that the first loop section is substantially circular in general outline, although comprising only approximately 270 degrees of said circle.

At the extremity of the loop section 13, a portion 14 is formed or bent inwardly so as to be nearly or approximately parallel with the support section 11, in turn continuing into the inner loop generally designated 15, which is of substantially circular form. At the end of the loop section 15, the same continues and is formed with an inwardly extending arm 16, which reaches approximately to the center of the said loop 15, from whence as shown in Figure 3, an arm 17 is bent out of the plane of the loop 15 so as to lie at substantially right angles thereto. At the end of the arm 17, the same is bent upwardly at 18, whereby to provide for support of the contact portion 6 for example of the resistance element 3 previously mentioned.

As shown in Figure 3, the outer loop or first loop 13 is of substantially greater diameter than the loop 15, the loop 15 lying generally within the outline of the said loop 13. In addition the loop 15 is generally in a parallel plane to the loop 13 as illustrated in the said Figure 3, the plane of the loop 15 being slightly offset from the plane of the loop 13 so as to receive and support thereon the ferrule 19. The ferrule 19 is of cylindrical nature of any suitable length having at one end the inwardly rolled portion 20 whereby the loop 15 is confined within the ferrule 19. The arm 17 as will be apparent from a consideration of Figure 3, extends inwardly as shown in the ferrule 19 and lies substantially centrally thereof or axially thereof as will be understood. The ferrule 19 may be fastened to the loop 15 in any suitable manner, permanently as by brazing or other means.

Referring now again to Figure 1, it will be seen that the ferrule 19 is of suitable diameter so as to receive therewithin the fused quartz tube 1, the mounting for the member 9 including a ferrule 21 to receive and support the other end of said tube.

In view of the foregoing the tube will be resiliently supported, and by means of the eyes 12 at the corresponding ends of the mounting members 8 and 9, the unit as a whole may be positioned, the eyes being suitably formed so as to receive screws or other suitable instrumentalities therewithin and to be positioned in respect of a suitable base, not shown, it being understood further that by means of such screws or other fastening instrumentalities the line through which electric current is supplied to the resistance member 3 may be likewise fastened by such instrumentalities.

Further in respect of the arrangement in Figure 1, it will be seen that the selfsame instrumentalities which are described in detail as respects Figures 2, 3, and 4, provide not only for the resilient support of the entire unit, but further provide for the furnishing of electric current to the resistance elements therewithin, thus serving a dual purpose. The resistance element 3 may be attached at the points 6 and 7 being welded or otherwise secured to the upturned ends of the respective units in order to complete the circuit by means of the resistance elements.

I claim:

l. A tube mounting comprising a bent, conductive Wire device having an outer loop terminating in an eye, said eye being in a plane normal to said loop; said outer loop having a re-entrant arm extending into the interior of the loop substantially diametrically thereof and in the plane thereof; an inner loop formed of the extended Wire of said arm, said inner loop being generally concentric with said outer loop and having a portion crossing said arm and being thus bent out of the plane of said outer loop and being, for the most part, in a plane parallel thereto and having a re-entrant arm extending thereinto; said latter re-entrant arm being substantially parallel to said firstmentioned arm and being extended to form a support arm disposed normal to the planes of said loops and terminating in a connection portion bent generally parallel to the plane of said loops and foreshortened to lie within the area of said inner loop, said support arm being generally on the axis of said loops so as to extend centrally thereof.

2. In a tube mounting as set forth in claim 1, including a ferrule encompassing said inner loop, said ferrule having an inturned edge grippingly engaging said inner loop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,367,341 Abbott Feb. 1, 1921 1,788,066 Reynders Jan. 6, 1931 1,819,835 Campbell Aug. 18, 1931 2,067,746 Zabel Jan. 12, 1937 2,447,365 Ruesch Aug. 17, 1948 2,447,376 Tognola Aug. 17, 1948 2,644,883 Schoenherr July 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 119,099 Sweden June 25, 1947 

